A blog on politics and education, supporting socialist ideals and equality of opportunity. Against obscene wealth and inequality.

Monday, 31 August 2015

Letter to Observer on Corbyn and refugees

In the spate of a few months three brilliant editorials in your paper have rightly criticised the government for its "self-interested approach to migration". The more recent one focused on Cameron`s failure to "see the bigger picture", seemingly convinced that the UK`s "pull factor" was the problem, and ignoring totally the unprecedented "global refugee crisis" (Stop our shameful retreat from the world and share the refugee problem, 23/08/15). In June the "widespread and gross human rights violations" prevalent in Eritrea emphasised one of the many "push factors", whilst back in April, the subject was the government`s failure to rally "around Italy`s admirable Mare Nostrum search and rescue programme" (Observer views on Eritrea, and the human tragedy in the Mediterranean, 14/06/15,19/04/15).

Why is it then that, when it comes to Tory domestic policies, criticism is more muted, and editorial preference in the Labour leadership contest is given to the Blairite candidates, whose opposition to the government is made more moderate by their own policies being so little different from those of Cameron? William Keegan, at least, sees through the "compassionate Tory" nonsense, and realises Osborne`s basic aim is to "harm the poor in order to finance tax cuts for the better off" (At last Labour remembers why austerity must be opposed,23/08/15). Instead of ridiculing Corbyn as the "Pied Piper of Islington" and such like, perhaps it`s time for the Observer to give the obvious popular appeal of his policies the respect it deserves? After all, his leadership would guarantee a more sympathetic approach to the refugee crisis, as well as exposing the need for austerity as the "con trick" it most definitely is!